Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Last Wednesday (May 11, 2011), Newt Gingrich, the 58th Speaker of the United States Congress (1995-1999), but who is better known for championing a historic opposition against President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, and, perhaps, also, for leading a team of conservatives to win back the control of the House for his Republican Party in 1994, formally joined the already crowded 2012 Republican presidential primary run. He announced his candidacy via a video message released Wednesday evening.

*Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

“I believe we can return America to hope and opportunity, to full employment, to real security, to an American energy programme, to a balanced budget… We owe it to our children, our grandchildren, our country and frankly to ourselves. So let’s get together, look reality in the face, tell the truth, make the tough choices and get the job done”, Gingrich said in the video.

Almost twelve years after he resigned as Speaker and his membership of Congress that Friday afternoon early in November 1999 following the dismal performance of his party in midterm elections which was largely blamed on him, Mr. Gingrich has kept himself away from electoral contests. He has, however, maintained an appreciable visibility by writing books, making speeches, producing films, launching vicious (but often uncoordinated) attacks on Democrats through his numerous television appearances and influencing policy formulations for the conservatives.

In the spring of 2008, for instance, he deployed the combined resources of the internet, cheerleaders and a petition to Congress backed with over a million signatures to push forward his advocacy for increased domestic oil production. His slogan: “Drill here. Drill now. Pay less!” helped popularize his campaign for increased domestic drilling, although, this has now come to haunt his presidential run given a 2008 pro-environment ad he did with Nancy Pelosi for Al Gore’s NGO, Alliance for Climate Protection, calling for clean energy solutions and appearing to urge the lawmakers (by shooting the ad outside the Capitol) to deploy serious efforts to contain global warming, a theme that received further mention in the 2007 book he co-authored, A Contract With the Earth.